ISLAMABAD: The United Kingdom has reduced its fiscal assistance in the development sector for several countries but enhanced bilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA) for Pakistan by making it more than double.
Diplomatic sources reminded that the gesture reflected a significant improvement in the bilateral ties between the two countries. The UK will provide £41.5 million in bilateral ODA to Pakistan for the year 2023-24, with a focus on accelerated family planning, girls’ education and revenue mobilization and investment and trade. The British High Commission announced here on Tuesday, the new Pakistan Country Development Partnership Summary (CDPS), published by UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, set out a refreshed approach to Pakistan-UK development partnership. The new CDPS shows an indicative ODA budget of £133 million pounds for the financial year 2024-25. “The strategy underlines the UK transition from a traditional aid relationship to a UK-Pakistan partnership for mutual benefit. It aims to unlock progress against Pakistan’s constraints to growth including population dynamics, climate vulnerability, gender equality and
structure of the economy,” the statement said. The annual report also indicates likely significant growth in UK-Pakistan ODA in 2024-25, based on an expected increase in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office’s (FCDO) overall ODA budget next year. The UK has provisionally allocated a greater share of next year’s ODA to Pakistan, reflecting the aim of boosting efforts to strengthen climate resilience and reduce humanitarian risks following last year’s devastating floods.
According to the statement, 56 per cent of the programmes under the CDPS are primarily or significantly geared towards promoting gender equality, and 26pc of the programmes are primarily or significantly focused on disability inclusion. It added that the CDPS was aligned with Pakistan’s long-term development strategies and sustainable development goals. “The strategy’s objectives are to deliver a step change in human capital; support Pakistan to adopt a more resilient and cleaner growth path; support Pakistan to become a more open society; and promote macroeconomic stability, private sector-led growth and resilience to climate shocks.” The statement mentioned that the CDPS also covered programming under the UK Conflict Stability and Security Fund, which underpinned UK-Pak cooperation on organised crime, regional stability and hate speech. The budgeted expenditure for 2023 to 2024 includes the top three bilateral aid programmes which are delivering accelerated family planning in Pakistan (DAFPAK); girls and out-of-school action for learning (GOAL) and revenue mobilization, investment and trade (REMIT).
The DAFPAK aims to increase access to quality family planning information and services, particularly to underserved groups such as rural women. The GOAL will support the governments of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in improving education outcomes for girls and the most marginalised, while the REMIT will support Pakistan in implementing reforms that lock in macroeconomic stability and improve conditions for high and sustained growth, mutual prosperity, job creation and poverty reduction. The UK will use its full relationship with Pakistan -- development, diplomatic, defence and people-to-people links -- to help deliver these objectives, the statement added. “We will work with Pakistan to unlock progress against critical challenges which include population dynamics, climate vulnerability and economy,” Development Director at the British High Commission, Jo Moir, said. Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Ishaq Dar viewed it as a remarkable gesture by British authorities. He reminded that Pakistan and the UK’s bilateral cooperation would open new vistas of progress for Pakistanis engaged in different spheres.